Palas
- For village of this name see Palas Sikar
Palas (पलास) or Palasa or Butea monosperma or Butea frondosa is a tree species of Butea native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, ranging across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and western Indonesia.[1] Palash is also the State Flower of Jharkhand.
Variants of name
- Hindi: पलाश (Palāśa)
- Punjabi: ਕੇਸੂ,
- Sanskrit: किंशुक (kiṁśuka),
- Telugu: మోదుగ/మోదుగు,
- Kannada: ಮುತ್ತುಗ,
- Bengali: পলাশ,
- Marathi: पळस,
- Burmese: ပေါက်ပင်,
- Khmer: ផ្កាចារ)
- Botanical name: Butea monosperma or Butea frondosa
- Common names: Palash, Dhak, Palah, Flame of the Forest, Bastard Teak, Parrot Tree, Keshu (Punjabi) and Kesudo (Gujarati).
Mention by Panini
Palasha (पलाश) is name of a place mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi under Kashadi (काशादि) (4.2.80.5) group. [2]
Palasha (पलाश)) is name of a place mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi under Varapadi (वरापादि) (4.2.80.16) group. [3]
Palasha (पलाश) is a place name mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi under Sankaladi (संकलादि) (4.2.75) group[4].
Palasha (पलाश) is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi. [5]
Tree character
It is a medium sized dry season-deciduous tree, growing to 15 m tall. It is a slow growing tree, young trees have a growth rate of a few feet per year. The leaves are pinnate, with an 8–16 cm petiole and three leaflets, each leaflet 10–20 cm long. The flowers are 2.5 cm long, bright orange-red, and produced in racemes up to 15 cm long. The fruit is a pod 15–20 cm long and 4–5 cm broad.[6]
Jat clans
In Mahabharata
Shalya Parva, Mahabharata/Book IX Chapter 36 describes the journey of Baladeva, who proceeded along the bank of the Sarasvati river. Palasa tree is mentioned in verse-58. [7]
History
Palasha (पलाश) is a place name mentioned by Panini under Sankaladi (संकलादि) (4.2.75) group. [8]
According to Alexander Cunningham Pataliputra (modern Patna), gets name from Palasa or Butea frondosa, which still grows as luxuriantly in the province as in the time of Hwen Thsang.[9]
The plant has lent its name to the town of Palashi, famous for the historic Battle of Plassey fought there.
Historically, dhak forests covered much of the doab area between the Ganges and Yamuna, but these were cleared for agriculture in the early 19th century as the English East India Company increased tax demands on the peasants.[10]
Usage
It is used for timber, resin, fodder, medicine, and dye. The wood is dirty white and soft and, being durable under water, is used for well-curbs and water scoops. Good charcoal can be obtained from it. The leaves are usually very leathery and not eaten by cattle. The leaves are used by street food sellers to serve food placed on the leaves.
References
- ↑ Taxon: Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub.
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.502
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.506
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.507
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.211
- ↑ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
- ↑ बथरेङ्गुथ काश्मर्य पलक्षाश्वत्द विभीतकैः
- पनसैश च पलाशैश च करीरैः पीलुभिस तदा (IX.36.58)
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.507
- ↑ The Ancient Geography of India: I. The Buddhist Period, Including the ...By Sir Alexander Cunningham, p.452-455
- ↑ Mann, Michael, Ecological Change in North India: Deforestation and Agrarian Distress in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab 1800-1850, in "Nature and the Orient" edited by Grove, Damodaran and Sangwan
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